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Brooklyn’s Street Sounds Stages Major Gretsch Day Event

Street Sounds, Brooklyn, NY

The first stop on Fred and Dinah Gretsch’s 130th Anniversary Tour was at Street Sounds in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday, June 15. Touting itself as “the world’s largest Gretsch dealer” (for guitars, amps, and related accessories), Street Sounds staged an all-day event that showcased Gretsch products and Gretsch artists alike.

Store owner Rocky Schiano began the festivities by giving the Gretsch fans in attendance a guided tour of the shop’s impressive array of Gretsch guitars. Many of those instruments were custom and one-of-a-kind models incorporating visual and functional features available nowhere else in the world. These included a new series of guitars featuring the unique designs of Brooklyn-based graffiti artist Kaves, who was introduced by Rocky to the acclaim of the locals in the crowd.

Steve Stern Custom Falcon

This presentation segued into a video about the Gretsch Custom Shop operation, introduced by Gretsch’s lead custom guitar builder Steven Stern. A special glass display case in the shop showcased one of Stern’s own custom jobs: a white Falcon with all-wood appointments and no plastic. Rocky pointed out that the guitar took four months of consultations and another twelve to construct.

Rocky then introduced Fred and Dinah Gretsch, who greeted the crowd on behalf of the Gretsch Family and Gretsch Guitars. Fred spoke about the importance of family heritage to a business, commenting on how he was the fourth generation of his family, and how Rocky and his family had a similar multi-generational involvement in their business. Fred went on to thank all the “lifers” in the room, referring to those individuals—customers and performers alike—whose personal connection to music was a lifelong endeavor.

Dinah Gretsch offered her thanks to the audience for their attendance, then went on to express her deep personal conviction that music enriches the lives of those who pursue it. She told the audience about her Mrs. G’s Music Foundation, a charitable effort that she founded to support music education in rural schools. And she encouraged all the musicians in the room to offer their time and skills to local schools as a way to promote and perpetuate the impact of music on young people.

The Foxy Studs. Photo by Mike Beitchman.

Gretsch Day at Street Sounds was full of surprises, and the first one came when Fred and Dinah brought Rocky back to the stage to receive a gift: a framed display version of the Gretsch 130th Anniversary poster. This presentation was followed by Fred’s introduction of the day’s first performers: a talented young contemporary rock group called Foxy Studs—featuring Rocky’s daughter Kristina on drums. The band’s energetic set earned enthusiastic applause from the audience.

The second surprise of the day came when Fred and Dinah Gretsch introduced a video tribute to veteran studio and touring guitarist Al Caiola. Then they introduced Al himself, who was on hand as an honored guest. Al came on stage to receive a plaque commemorating his long and distinguished musical career.

Al Caiola Sits in with Jet Weston and His Atomic Ranch Hands.

Variety was the theme of the day when it came to the entertainment, and this was made abundantly clear by the appearance of Jet Weston and His Atomic Ranch Hands. Costumed in a mix of classic western, frontier, hillbilly, and riverboat gambler garb, Jet and his band offered an eclectic mix of western swing and jazz standards. Later in their set they invited Al Caiola to join them, and the 92-year-old guitar star added his special touch to several tunes . . . including his own 1960s hit, “Theme From The Magnificent Seven.”

Rocky Presents Fred with Anniversary Cake. Photo by Mike Beitchman.

Rocky returned to the stage to tell that audience that no anniversary celebration would be complete without a cake. He and Fred Gretsch then displayed a large sheet cake decorated with the Gretsch Logo and the words “Happy 130th Anniversary.” Everyone in the crowd was invited to enjoy the anniversary treat.

Michelle Marie on Stage. Photo by Mike Beitchman.

When introducing the next act, Fred Gretsch said that it was “great to see a girl playing guitar.” The “girl” in question was Michelle Marie, and play she did, leading her own trio in a set of primarily instrumental fusion and progressive jazz compositions. Odd time signatures, stellar technique, and challenging arrangements were the order of the day.

Throughout the day Dinah Gretsch joined with Rocky to give away a selection of door prizes. These included Gretsch T-shirts as well as several Gretsch guitars. The day’s big winner took home a classic orange-finish Gretsch Electromatic guitar.

The day’s performances closed with an appearance by 1970s New Wave recording stars The Romantics. The group immediately launched into their signature style of pop-punk rock, playing two tunes before stopping to greet the crowd, to thank Street Sounds for inviting them, and to acknowledge Fred and Dinah Gretsch. Then it was right back into the music, rocking song after song before closing with their monster hit “What I Like About You.”

Rocky Schiano joined Fred and Dinah Gretsch in thanking everyone for attending and offering one more round of congratulations to Gretsch on its 130th Anniversary. It had been a heck of a party!